Playground apparatus



Sept. 9, 1 924. 1,507,944

W. WILLIAMS PLAYGROUND APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1922 FIGURE 1 INVENTOR MR56 i M FIG-U v a BY fig. .1

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WINFIELD WILLIAMS, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, 'ASSIGNOR TO J. F. PATTERSONAND HORTENSE BEAN, A COPARTNERSHIP, UNDER THE NAMEOF PATTERSON-W111LIAMS MFG; 00., OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

PLAYGROUN D APPARATUS.

Application filed July 29, 19 22. Serial No. 578,454

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, WINFIELD WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States,and resident of San Jose, in the 'county'of Santa Clara and StateofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPlayground Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to a form of playground apparatus adapted toaccommodate a number of children and so constructed as .tooscillate in anovel manner when actuated by the said children.

It is one object of my invention to provide a device of the characterindicated that will be simple in form and construction. economical tomanufacture, and that will provide great freedom of movement with butfew moving parts.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a device that willreadily accommodate a number of children at the same time, and thatprovides ready means usable simultaneously by all of the children forsetting the movable part of the device in motion and continuing the samein motion, the said means forming a stationary part of the structuralframework.-

It is a still further object of my invention to provide a device of thecharacter indicated so constructed as to operate under the impulsesimparted thereto by the operators thereof, and in which the parts are soarranged as to eliminate any possibility of injury toa child when thedevice is in use.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of my -improved playgroundapparatus. 1

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a detail section on 33 of Figure 1 but with a different formof swinging bar mounted therein. I I

Referring more particularly to -the drawing, 11-11 indicate four cornerposts,

preferably formed of pipes set in concrete foundations 2. These cornerposts are arranged in spaced pairs as shown, each pair in turn beingspaced, and the four posts defining the four corners of an oblongrectangular figure.

Mounted upon the upper end of each post is a fitting 3 lying in thevertical plane of the pair of posts to which it belongs. The fitting 3is provided with a bearing surface oscillate.

4 4: in which are monnted roller bearings -5 engaging one end 6 of acrank 7. A washer 8 is shown oncrank end 6 and engaging the inner end offitting 3"and held against, displacement by a cotter pin 9. On the outerend of crank end .6 is another washer 10 engaging the outer end offitting 3 and secured by a nut 11 threaded upon crank end 6 andlocked bythe mutilationof the threads on crank end 6.

A single crank 7 is suspended between each pair of posts 1. is placed aplank 12 to form a seat, the said plank overhanging both cranks adistance and connected thereto by means of any suit able type ofbearings as at 13. v

The construction set forth is so proportioned that the feet of thechildren will readily clear the ground when they are astride the plank.Arranged parallel to plank 12 and connecting the two posts on each sidethereof at points a'distance above On these two cranks the horizontalplane-of the plank are hand bars 1-l14, preferably connected to posts 1by means of Ts at 15 whereby the said posts 1 and hand bars 14 form aunitary structure.

In operating this device a number of children straddle plank 12 andgrasp hand bars 14. By alternately pulling and pushing on said hand barsthe plank is caused to Owing to the comparative shortness of the cranks7 the oscillations are somewhat rapid and more or less jerky, impartinga motion that is novel and particularly adaptable to young children.

The construction itself is of such a nature as to require but fewlnexpenslve parts as v sembled in a simple and 'lnexpenslve'manner,

a horizontal bar 16 is shown in Figure 3 from which the swing may behung, the said bar engaging bearings 4, but this form is not desirablebecause the bar 16 is somewhat in the way and may cause injury to achild.

It is to be understood, of course, that while I have herein, shown anddescribed but 'one embodiment of my invention, changes in form,construction, proportions, and, meth- 0d of operation may be made withinthe scope of the appended claims.

I claim: Y g a 1. In playground apparatus, two pairs of spaced verticalbars defining the corners of an oblong rectangular figure, parallel-handbars connecting the pairs t vertical bars, a seat member arranged belowthe plane of said hand bars, and parallelly arranged swinging means forsupporting the ends thereof between said pairs of vertical bars.

In playground apparatus, supporting means defining the corners of anoblong rectangular figure, parallel and horizontal hand bars connectingthe supporting means on each of the longer sides of said figure, a seatmember arranged below the plane of said hand bars, and'parallellyarranged swinging means supporting said seat member sup;- ported betweenthe supporting means at each end of said figure. i

3, In playground apparatus, four vertical postsdefining the corners ofan oblong rectangular figure, a hand bar rigidly connecting said postson the longer sides of said figure, a U shaped bar having outwardlyprojecting portions on its upper ends pivotally mounted upon the postsat each end of said figure and between the same, said U shaped membersbeing arranged in parallel relation to each other, a seat memberarranged below the plane of said hand bars, and bearings carried by saidmember at each end thereof, and engaging the lower portions of said .Ushaped members.

' WVIN'FIELD l/VILLIAMS.

